How to Grow Convallaria

Commonly called lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis is a species of rhizomatous flowering plant often cultivated in woodland-style gardens. The delicate, bell-shaped flowers appear in spring, where they nod atop 6- to 12-inch-tall stems amid whorls of fleshy, deeply ribbed foliage. Convallaria grows effortlessly and will quickly colonize a large area if left alone, but the plants look and bloom best if the rhizomes are dug up every few years and replanted in a fresh, amended bed.

Garden trowel
Mesh or paper bag
Manure compost
Soil cultivator
10-10-10 fertilizer
Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Dig up Convallaria rhizomes for replanting after the foliage begins to die back in summer. Dig a 4-inch radius around each plant with a garden trowel. Dig down to a depth of 5 inches. Pry the rhizomes from the ground.
- 2
  Remove all the soil stuck to the rhizomes. Dry them on a flat, shaded surface for three to six hours. Store them in a mesh or paper bag away from excessive warmth, humidity and direct light until autumn.
- 3
  Prepare a bed for the Convallaria rhizomes around mid-October. Spread a 2-inch layer of manure compost over the planting site and work the manure compost into the bed to a depth of 6 inches using a hand-held soil cultivator.
- 4
  Dig a 3-inch-deep planting hole for each Convallaria rhizome. Space the holes approximately 6 inches apart. Set one rhizome in each hole with the roots at the bottom and the pointed tip at the top. Cover each rhizome with 1 inch of soil.
- 5
  Water the Convallaria rhizomes thoroughly immediately after planting them. Cover the bed with a 1-inch-thick layer of manure compost after watering to protect the rhizomes during the winter and to provide acidity to the soil.
- 6
  Feed the Convallaria plants in early spring once they begin to sprout. Apply 10-10-10 fertilizer between the plants, taking care not to spill any on the emerging foliage. Follow the label instructions carefully when applying the fertilizer.
- 7
  Maintain soil moisture around the Convallaria plants to a depth of 2 inches. Keep the soil moderately moist at all times. Do not allow the top 2 inches of soil to completely dry out for more than one day.
- 8
  Cut back the foliage in summer if it begins to look untidy. Cut it off at ground level using pruning shears. Discard the pruned foliage in a green waste bin or compost heap.
- 9
  Dig up and replant the Convallaria rhizomes in one to two years, or once the plants begin to look crowded and the blooms have significantly diminished.

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